The terrorist attack on America

by Liz Greene

The astrological
portrait of an event always presents us with many layers of meaning
and implies a situation more complex than is apparent on the surface.
The terrible terrorist attack on America on 11th September
2001 is no exception. Since that day, numerous articles have appeared
on the internet offering an astrological interpretation of what
has happened, and many of these can aid in our understanding. No
amount of interpretation of planetary symbols will mitigate the
grief and outrage felt by so many people, nor will it affect the
decisions made by governments which do not avail themselves of astrological
insights. However, astrological insights can sometimes help the
individual to find a more balanced perspective. It seems to me that,
in the present astrological climate, [1] a balanced
perspective is badly needed in the wake of such a terrifying and
terrible event.

Like many charts for the inception of war, the chart
set for the collision of the first hijacked aircraft with the World
Trade Centre building contains a deceptively benign aspect. There
is a powerful and apparently harmonious configuration between the
planets Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.[2] It is not my intention
to discuss the horary or predictive implications of this chart -
other astrologers who specialise in these perspectives have already
done this elsewhere - but rather, the deeper picture it portrays
of the collective psyche at the moment of the attack. Like the similar
benign configuration in the inception chart for World War Two,[3]
this set-up of planets is telling us something we may not wish to
recognise: it is easy for such events to occur when the collective
psyche floats in a state of complacency and unawareness. Such planetary
configurations are aspects of ease and reflect gifts and innate
aptitudes in an individual's chart, but they can also connote a
naive assumption that all is well in the world. It is the 'difficult'
or 'inharmonious' aspects[4] which
force us to become conscious and work at containing our conflicts
and developing our potentials. This chart contains a striking juxtaposition
of both types of aspect - a grand trine and a T-cross. It is characteristic,
when this occurs in an individual's chart, for the trines to dominate
initially, and the hard aspects to register through a crisis of
some kind which forces the person to face painful realities they
would prefer to avoid. This planetary alignment is in the astrological
element of air - concerned with ideas, ideals, and concepts - and
perhaps reflects the dangerously self-satisfied idealism with which
we in the Western world began the week of 9th September.
The dominance of political correctness over human reality, and the
belief that it can solve the world's problems, may be one of many
things which has just come to an abrupt end.

Other aspects in this chart are aggressive and potentially
very destructive. Treated with consciousness in an individual's
chart, they can be productive of extremely positive results. When
they appear as the signature of the climate of the moment, they
can be explosive.[5] The aspects of 11th September portray this
event as being rooted in ideological conflicts, the underlying drumbeat
being the fanaticism and intolerance which have yearly been on the
increase in every nation of the world.[6] The focus of the tension is the sphere of the horoscope
concerned with ancestral ghosts, inheritance from the past, traditionally
the house of 'secret enemies'.[7] From a psychological perspective, this area of the
birth chart is concerned with patterns in the collective unconscious
which stretch back over many generations. In short, this explosive
configuration of hard aspects describes the fruition of issues of
anger, aggression, scapegoating, and fanaticism which have their
roots in a much longer past.

I do not believe it is possible to take the chart for
an event, or the transits over a national chart, and foretell what
will 'happen' in concrete terms. Sometimes a transit picture over
a national chart is highly suggestive when linked with knowledge
of political affairs, as was the case with the Soviet Union in 1989.[8] But the
configurations here are not that obvious. Threatening and disturbing,
yes; clear and simple, no. Many people are now proudly declaring,
with hindsight, how easy it is to read the events of 11 September
in this chart, and in the transits across the chart of the USA,
discussed below. This is a facile pronouncement. So are the various
prognostications of the End of the World, which have been around
for as long as the world has. Claiming to have such foreknowledge
may give a feeling of personal power and importance, but it might
be more constructive - and truthful - to admit not only our ignorance
but also our need to look objectively at many different levels and
perspectives to try to make sense of the catastrophe which has just
occurred and steer our way to a future which is constructive rather
than destructive. If we believe there is any possibility of free
will and any capacity to work on difficult configurations to generate
creative rather than destructive results, we must accept the fact
that the terrorist attack on America was not 'fated'.

It is also pointless to declare how it could have been
avoided if so-and-so had done or not done such-and-such. There are
too many 'if only's being thrown about, and perhaps also too many
smug declarations of blame in every direction, including self-blame.
This is not helpful and is rather like telling someone with cancer
that it's their 'fault' because they didn't sort out their psychological
problems or ate the wrong food ten years before. We need to look
at the meaning of these events first, and then look forward to how
we can turn a great evil into an opportunity for bettering things.
Of course America has a psychological 'shadow'. So does every other
nation in the world. At some point it may be appropriate to explore
the nature of that shadow. But just as no amount of self-analysis
can protect an individual from the unexpected, no amount of self-analysis
can protect a nation from the unexpected either. Those who assume
that terrorist acts are the inevitable 'result' of a nation's failings
are, in effect, attributing logic, fairness, and justice to people
who abandoned logic, justice, and fairness long ago.

Whether in an individual's, a nation's, or an event's
chart, the contrast between a benign configuration reflecting lofty
and noble humanitarian ideals, and a stressful configuration reflecting
elements of scapegoating, aggression, obsessive fanaticism, and
potential violence born of impotent rage is striking.[9] Benign configurations in a birth chart
often hide a multitude of sins. Psychologically, we tend to hide
behind our gifts and aptitudes to avoid the pain of dealing with
our limitations and conflicts. It could be said that the collective
- globally, and not just in America - was in precisely this state
of hopeful denial of reality on the morning of 11th September.

2. The 'Sibley' chart for the United States

Juxtaposing this chart with the birth chart of the USA
- in other words, examining the transits - gives a clear picture
of what this event means to the country. The chart of the event
is the chart of the collective psyche at the moment, but as a transit
chart, it tells us how the qualities of the moment affect America.
These transits are very disturbing - although it should be remembered
that the most important of them[10] has been around for some time and is not exclusive
to 11th September. Conflict with 'others' is synchronous
with a deep internal transformation, and transformations of this
nature are usually extremely unpleasant, even devastating, to begin
with, although in the long term they are immensely creative. The
quality of America's Sagittarius Ascendant - the 'personality' of
the nation - has always been evident to the outside world in attractive
and less attractive ways - the undaunted explorer's spirit, the
boundless enthusiasm and faith in the future, the deeply religious
bias, the material and emotional excess, the assumption of moral
superiority, the courageous refusal to accept defeat, the unquenchable
optimism.

All these qualities, pleasant and less pleasant, reflect
a glorious naiveté in the best and worst senses - an innocence about
what people are really capable of, a simultaneously tolerant and
self-righteous attitude toward broader philosophical and spiritual
issues, a desire to believe the best of everyone, and a firm conviction
that all things, even the bad ones, can yield opportunities for
growth. The transformation now occurring, reflected by transiting
Pluto moving across this Sagittarius Ascendant, is a kind of Childhood's
End, bringing with it the loss of innocence and the challenge of
transforming Sagittarius' childlike intuitive vision of higher purpose
into genuine wisdom and a more realistic vision of humanity. Pluto
can take us to hell and back, and its process can involve loss,
humiliation, depression, and a sense of colliding with fate or forces
beyond our control. Pluto transits are humbling and may also be
accompanied by feelings of impotence and great anxiety. The terrorist
attack on 11th September is the major trigger for Plutonian
transformation, but it represents only one of several ongoing issues
which reflect a deeper process at work.

It should be remembered that planetary movements such
as these have a long build-up period, and Pluto's first approach
to the American Ascendant coincided with the scandal of President
Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. However silly and superficial this
might have seemed to many, it raised deeper issues about morality
and public responsibility. The present crisis is in a different
league altogether - America is under attack, over five thousand
innocent people have been killed and, unless action is taken, more
tragedies may occur. But underneath, the moral questioning now demanded
of all Americans is fuelled by the same Sagittarian quest to define
the ultimate and absolute nature of right and wrong, truth and falsehood,
good and evil. And because Pluto moving through Sagittarius reflects
a process in all of us, every nation must now grapple with this
same moral questioning. The time for hypocrisy is over.

It is natural, psychologically and also astrologically,[11] to seek to identify the culprits for
the tragedy, and to feel victimised by those who are obsessively
unbending in their ideology and intolerant of points of view other
than their own.[12] Usually, when an important transit
passes over this part of the birth chart, the 'other' really is
out there. This is not just 'projection', as some rather silly people
are claiming. There are real terrorist networks active around the
world, dedicated to overthrowing Western institutions; they really
do kill people; and they will happily do so again. The British have
endured acts of terrorism and the murder of innocent people in their
home cities by the IRA for over twenty-five years, and know what
it feels like. But at the same time, the enemy 'other' is a catalyst
as well as a perpetrator, and it may be necessary to recognise that
a polarisation has been building up for a long time which needs
to be better integrated. The events of 11th September
coincide with the beginning of a long, ongoing transit of Saturn
through the 7th house of the national chart. It is the
aftermath, and the inevitable changes in collective thinking, which
will highlight the real meaning and potentially creative outcome
of the present disaster.

With any planetary opposition, it is extremely important
not to polarise. Polarisation - 'us against them', and 'hunt the
scapegoat' - is the easiest way to deal with oppositions, and sometimes
inevitable at first. But it is not the most helpful way in the long
run. Remaining as objective as possible, and holding back until
reason can contain and direct impulse, can allow us to do what is
necessary without indulging in the mob rule which smashes shop windows
and lumps all individuals of a particular race or religion or nationality
under the same umbrella. Those in America and Europe who are perpetrating
acts of violence against innocent Muslim families living among them
are no different from the terrorists who lump all Americans together
as 'evil'.[13] Those who have been
scapegoated - in this case, America herself - need to be able to
respond without becoming scapegoaters. Psychologically, rage and
feelings of vengefulness are a normal and necessary part of the
grieving process, and we should not be ashamed of feeling them.
The critical question is whether, and how, we act on them.

There are many other striking transits. One, involving
the planet Mercury, concerns America's image in the eyes of the
world, both positive and negative - as the 'moral judge', the defender
of civilised society, the peacekeeper, the bastion of the 'high
moral ground', the 'policeman' of the world.[14] This is an ambivalent
image, sometimes immensely strong and just, sometimes oppressive
and self-righteous. It is possible that this transit in America's
chart could, hopefully, signal a new and more positive use of the
nation's power as compassionate judge and wise leader.[15] The
transit cycle of Mercury which began on 11th September
is coming to completion on 23rd October, although I would
not wish to hazard a guess as to the nature of the completion. It
may be that those who are responsible are brought to justice. Or
the cycle may be psychological, and reflect a firming and crystallising
of moral, political, and legal structures resulting in measured,
carefully thought out action.

The financial effects of the catastrophe are reflected
in another transit, this time involving the planet Neptune. More
important than the financial loss is the undermining of assumptions
of safety and security.[16] There is also a statement being made here about resources
and the ways in which these are used and shared. The regressive
tendency is to isolationism and protectionism, while the progressive
tendency is to pool resources and recognise the necessity of co-operation,
both materially and psychologically. Neptune transits often accompany
losses which must be accepted, and it is wiser, under Neptune, to
let go and trust in the eventual resolution of things rather than
fighting blindly to hang on to a sense of safety which has already
slipped away.

Resources may be psychological as well as material, and
the immediate effort by America to create greater co-operation with
other nations is an extremely positive response to this Neptune
transit which asks the nation to focus less on how many millions
the WTC building cost, and more on how much we all need each other
if we wish to exist peacefully with other nations and other peoples.
Countries which have been ostracised or dismissed as unimportant
may turn out to be friends; countries which have appeared to be
friends may have to look again at their own covert destructive activities.
The transit of Neptune highlights the theme of relationship with
other countries, and in this sphere America's chart is not especially
indicative of ease. There is a tendency to emphasise the material
level of reality and a reluctance to look at the deeper levels of
human motivation.[17] Co-dependency
with other nations and a spirit of psychological if not economic
equality may have been sometimes difficult to achieve.[18] It is perhaps worth remembering that, during World
War Two, America reluctantly but decisively entered the war after
the bombing of Pearl Harbour - itself a form of terrorist attack[19] - and despite the
terrible losses, this involvement in a global effort helped to generate
a world in which there has, at times, been greater recognition of
the mutual dependency of all nations. This transit of Neptune, which
has coincided with great grief and loss on many levels, may ultimately
yield an enduring spirit of unity and co-operation.

3. The progressed chart of the USA

A progressed chart portrays the deeper meaning of the
time, and is less descriptive of the kinds of outer experiences
which are likely to impinge on the individual's or nation's life.
This progressed chart presents us with a striking aspect which suggests
greater honesty and more open dialogue between government and people,
and the beginning of a new cycle of development involving increasing
understanding of and sensitivity to the global entity of which the
nation is a part.[20] It
is an extremely positive and creative aspect. It is my experience
that painful external events often occur when such a positive progressed
aspect is building up - as though it is in some way necessary to
clean out what is outworn and go through a kind of trial by fire
in order to release the potential which is trying to be born. This
progressed aspect, so different from the transits in America's chart,
gives me hope for the outcome of current events because it implies
a growing capacity for clarity, consciousness, and integration which
could inaugurate a kind of rebirth. Although there are likely to
be further trials to be undergone in the immediate future,[21] this progressed aspect is very promising in terms
of how things will eventually unfold.

A transit of the planet Uranus in the progressed chart
reveals quite a literal image of what has happened: a shocking and
unexpected experience, arising from the sphere of 'others', awakens
the fiery spirit of the nation and kicks it into life.[22] This
transit could signal an awakening of a positive kind involving not
only the attitudes of the public but also the nature of America's
relations with the outside world. With all such aspects, everything
depends on how people respond. In other words, every individual
has a choice: polarise and conduct a campaign of hatred and protectionism,
indulge in a morbid analysis of every real or imagined American
mistake and failing, or remain objective, centred, and sympathetic
to all people who are on the side of life - regardless of their
nation, religion or race - and who are doing their best to contain
the destructive elements which exist within all of us.

In the next weeks it is likely that aggression will be
unleashed against those who perpetrated the terrorist attack, although
hopefully this will be restrained and realistic rather than unbridled.[23] Equally, the transit which suggests this also describes
the anger and outrage justifiably felt throughout the nation. At
the end of December a new transit, involving the planetoid Chiron,
will begin to highlight the American birth chart.[24] This transit goes on for a long time - all through
2002 and into 2003. It is not a transit of violence, but rather,
one of grief, sadness, soul-searching, and also healing. It also
describes a sense of vulnerability and recognition of national problems,
wounds, and failings. Such soul-searching must come organically
and naturally when the moment is right; it cannot be forced by those
who want someone to blame and indulge in blaming their own nation
because of the feelings of humiliation and impotence which major
catastrophes always engender on a collective level. As an accompaniment
the deeper process of transformation described by Pluto in the natal
chart, it suggests a major re-evaluation of internal attitudes and
a willingness to work at self-image and admit and attend to weaknesses
and flaws which are human rather than 'bad' or 'evil'. The sphere
of soul-searching may well be the real, rather than idealised, unfolding
of the nation's history and its use of natural resources - the land,
and the earth itself.[25]

4. The President's chart

Finally, it might be helpful to look at the birth chart
and progressed chart of President Bush. As an elected leader, the
responsibility ultimately lands on his shoulders to meet the present
crisis with both firmness and sanity. The links between his birth
chart and those of America's natal chart are striking and an interesting
study in their own right, since transits over one chart will always
coincide with transits over the other.[26] The present transit of Neptune in both charts may
reflect not only Mr. Bush's encounter with an elusive, threatening
Neptunian 'other', but also the challenge to his Leo Ascendant and
his capacity to avail himself of its potential nobility and leadership
qualities rather than its potential self-aggrandising tendencies.
Another important transit to both his and America's charts is awakening
him to the importance of the larger world community.[27] A further transit describes clearly the emotional
shock and pain which is evident in the President's response.[28] And
a forthcoming transit of the planet Jupiter in late September, which
recurs next year, may bode well for both Mr. Bush and his country,
particularly in opening up positive links with 'friends' and 'partners'.

Over the next six months, progressed aspects in the President's
chart suggest a chance for Mr Bush to establish his credentials
in the world as a firm but civilised world leader, fulfilling the
necessity indicated in his birth chart to carve his own path rather
than falling back on the inheritance of his father and the values
and belief systems in which he was raised.[29] Whatever one's political views, this man is the man
who is now in office and must deal with the present crisis. It is
not especially helpful to vilify him at this time, as he has not
yet had a chance to demonstrate fully how he intends to accomplish
his goals in the midst of the nightmare. He (or those he works with)
may surprise those who have dismissed him as incapable of handling
the crisis.[30] In some spheres or situations he may
be the 'wrong' president, but it is possible that in the current
climate he may be precisely the 'right' one.

There are many aspects, transiting, progressed, and natal,
which I have not touched on in this article. I have tried to focus
on the major aspects and what they might mean from a psychological
perspective. Once again, I do not believe the terrorist attacks
of 11th September could have been predicted. Also, I
do not think there is any assurance they could have been avoided
even if it had been possible to foresee them. As with experiences
which occur in an individual's life, these dreadful events are the
outer shape of a much deeper dilemma, which ultimately involves
the reshaping of America's self-image and relations with other nations.
It is a true life crisis of a Plutonian kind, and as with an individual,
the opportunity is available to grow and flourish if old attitudes
and perspectives can be relinquished and extremism and polarisation
can be contained and neutralised by understanding. This is up to
every single individual. It is pointless to go around shouting,
'It's the fault of the right/ left/ communists/ capitalists/ anarchists/
Muslims/ Jews/ Christians/ government policies/ immigrants/ extraterrestrials!'
The terrorists themselves will, hopefully, receive their just due.
But that is only one level of these transits. Change in any collective
begins in the heart of each individual and in his or her way of
dealing with a crisis. The spirit of compassion, mutual support,
and unity which these terrible events have already generated in
America is profoundly moving and ensures that Pluto's transformative
propensities have already begun to reveal their deeper meaning.

The Saturn-Pluto opposition currently presiding in the
heavens is a hard and painful aspect, and every person is experiencing
it on one level or another - some in their intimate lives, some
through their health, some through financial difficulties, some
through being caught up in collective crises. This opposition pits
two archetypal principles against each other - reason against chaos,
civilisation against anarchy, entrenched structures against the
inevitable need for change, rational control against the forces
of the deeper unconscious psyche, human will against what we call
'fate'. Neither is 'right' or 'better' than the other. Balance and
endurance are required, lest we polarise. The end product of the
transit could be greater insight, more flexible and compassionate
social and economic structures, greater realism, a diminishing of
hypocrisy and an increase of self-honesty, and a true maturity and
tolerance of spirit. And people can only pass through this painful
initiation as individuals. That is ultimately the real message of
astrology - not whether we can 'foretell the future' or 'spot the
bad guy' and use our insights to bludgeon those we personally disapprove
of for emotional or ideological reasons. Hatred, cruelty, and intolerance
are great evils wherever they are found. Saturn-Pluto has a way
of smoking them out and bringing them into full view. However, they
exist in every human being and they exist in every nation. Fanatics,
bullies, and terrorists of a subtler kind may also be alive and
well in one's family, one's religious leaders, one's friends, and
one's internet correspondents. Knowing this should not prevent us
from acting as necessary to secure justice, or condemning those
who perpetrate crimes. But perhaps it can help prevent us from indulging
in precisely the same fanaticism and blindness that unleashed the
tragic events of 11th September.

Liz Greene

Zürich, 15 September 2001

[1] This is a reference to the Saturn-Pluto opposition
presiding in the heavens at the moment, which carries unpleasant
connotations for astrologers due to its historical coincidence
with outbreaks of war. The conjunction of these planets in 1914
accompanied the start of World War One; the conjunction of 1946
occurred right after the end of World War Two, when the real devastation
of the Holocaust became known; and the opposition in the mid-1960s
coincided with the Vietnam War.

[2] The actual configuration is: a grand trine
in the element of air, involving Mercury in Libra exactly on the
Ascendant, exactly trine Saturn in Gemini in the 9th
house and also trine Uranus in Aquarius in the 5th
house and Neptune in Aquarius in the 4th.

[3] The inception chart for the moment the Germans
opened fire on Danzig, inaugurating World War Two, has a grand
earth trine involving Uranus, Neptune, and Mars.

[5] The conjunction of Pluto and Chiron, although
well past its exact point, is still operative. Saturn in Gemini
is opposite Pluto in Sagittarius, the obvious 'culprit' (although
perhaps not so obvious as it seems), and Moon at the end of Gemini
is opposite Chiron and Mars in Sagittarius, all straddling the
3rd/9th house axis.

[6] This reflects the slow progress of Pluto
through Sagittarius, the sign concerned with religious, moral,
and philosophical issues.

[7] The Sun in Virgo, forming a T-cross with
these Gemini and Sagittarius planets, as well as being placed
exactly on the Pluto-Chiron midpoint, focuses the stress point
of the oppositions firmly in the 12th house.

[8] Transiting Pluto moved over the natal Sun
of the Soviet Union in 1989, suggesting a total transformation
or definitive ending ('death') of this political entity in the
form in which it had existed since its birth.

[9] Scapegoating is peculiarly linked to the
Pluto-Chiron cycle, which occurs roughly every 60 years. Under
the last Pluto-Chiron conjunction, the Germans began their wholesale
murder of Jews in the 'death camps'. The present conjunction,
while past its exact point, has encompassed not only the massacre
of Kosavars by Serbs, but also the bombing of Belgrade and the
outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain resulting in a wholesale
scapegoating of animals. Aggression is reflected by the opposition
of Mars and the Moon; obsessive fanaticism is a characteristic
of Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto in Sagittarius; and impotent
rage is reflected by the wide but nevertheless operative conjunction
of Mars and Chiron.

[10] Saturn opposition Pluto. This opposition
falls right across the American Ascendant-Descendant axis, with
Pluto on the Sagittarius Ascendant and Saturn on the Gemini Descendant.
The Ascendant in a national chart is concerned with self-image
and identity,k while the Descendant is concerned with 'others'
- in other words, other nations and other political entities.

[11] Transiting Saturn is on the cusp of the 7th
house - the house of others and of 'open enemies'.

[13] Saturn-Pluto and Chiron-Pluto configurations
are particularly good at this kind of group hatred and scapegoating.

[14] Transiting Mercury and transiting Ascendant
fall exactly on America's natal Saturn in 14° Libra. This natal
Saturn is in the 10th house, concerned with 'public
image' and role in the world's eyes.

[15] Given the trine between Saturn and Mercury
in the event chart, and also the trine from transiting Saturn
to natal Saturn, this conjunction of transiting Mercury with America's
10th house Saturn - itself involved in trines with
Uranus and Mars in Gemini in the 7th house - could
bode well for the future. Mercury will be making its retrograde
station in 29° Libra on 2nd October, and will station
direct on 23rd October in 14° Libra - the same degree
in which it was placed on 11th September, the degree
of America's natal Saturn.

[16] Transiting Neptune in the chart for 11th
September is exactly on America's lunar south Node in the 2nd
house. The nodal axis in America's birth chart involves south
Node in the 2nd and north Node in the 8th.

[17] Any transit involving the nodal axis concerns
relationships. The south Node in the 2nd house inclines
to an instinctive self-sufficiency and protectionism (and also
the good fortune of natural wealth), while the north Node in the
8th suggests that effort must be made to recognise
the need for co-operation and sharing of resources with others.

[19] Transiting Pluto at this time was moving
over the north Node in Leo in the 8th house.

[20] Progressed Sun is approaching a conjunction
with natal Moon. The conjunction will be exact in about five months.
It occurs in the 3rd house of the natal chart.

[21] Transiting Saturn still has to conjunct Mars
in the 7th house; transiting Chiron is still within
a couple of degrees of opposition to this Mars; and transiting
Mars will be opposing all the natal Cancer planets over the next
couple of weeks.

[22] Progressed charts should be drawn up as charts
in their own right, complete with progressed angles and progressed
house cusps. This reveals much more than simply placing progressed
planets around the natal wheel. The progressed chart is also very
sensitive to transits (especially the progressed angles). In America's
progressed chart, the Descendant is at 21° Aquarius, and at the
time of the terrorist attack, transiting Uranus is sitting right
on this Descendant. In some ways this transit is more descriptive
of what is really happening than the Saturn-Pluto opposition across
the natal Ascendant. The Saturn-Pluto opposition is more a picture
of how deeply split, threatened, and burdened the nation is feeling
rather than of what has happened to it on the concrete level.
Soon transiting Uranus will arrive at 27° Aquarius, in time to
join the progressed Sun and natal Moon in the natal 3rd
house and the progressed 7th house. Uranian energy
is innate in America's chart through its Aquarian Moon (dispositor
of the natal Sun in Cancer) and its angular natal Uranus, suggesting
a positive response to the upcoming configuration.

[24] Chiron will enter Capricorn after its long
sojourn in Sagittarius, and it will oppose the Cancer planets
in the USA 7th house.

[25] Chiron is in the 4th house of
the national birth chart, and understanding the meaning of any
transit requires looking at where it is placed natally.

[26] For example, Neptune transiting over the
American south Node also transits over the President's Descendant,
and Jupiter transiting in 13° Cancer over his natal Sun in late
September also transits over America's natal Sun.

[27] The Saturn-Pluto opposition lands on his
natal Uranus in the 11th house.

[28] Transiting Uranus in 21° Aquarius at the
progressed Descendant of America's chart opposes his natal Venus
in 21° Leo.

[29] In the President's progressed chart, the
progressed MC is exactly on the progressed lunar north Node, and
the third phase of the Saturn-Pluto opposition in 2002 will fall
within a degree of this progressed axis.

[30] Given the strong trines from transiting Uranus
to the progressed stellium in Libra in the progressed 3rd
house, Mr. Bush may find his voice at last, and focus his energy
on what he deems to be his 'mission' to bring peace (Libra) to
the world.